Fire-escape.



v I Patented July 29, I902. M. ABRAMS.

FIRE ESCAPE No. 705,89l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARIE ABRAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,891, dated July 29, 1902.

Application filed April 29,1902. Serial No. 105,247. (No model.)

To all whom it. may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARIE ABRAMS, a resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-escapes provided with means for temporary attachment for use in case of fire, and relates particularly to the distribution and adjustment of the various parts of the apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide a handy, safe, and convenient portable fireescape wherein the descent in case of fire is made vertically between adjacent windows,so that the fire and smoke issuing from the windows of the floors to be passed in-the descent may be avoided. I accomplish this object by suspending a platform or chair when in operative position from two cables having different sources of support, one cable at one window and the other at an adjacent window. Thus the platform will remain constantly suspended between adjacent windows.

The construction and arrangement of parts are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and are fully described, so as to enable one skilled in the art to construct and use a fireescape forming the subject of my invention.

In the drawing an elevation of a house partly broken away is shown provided with my invention in operative position.

The fire-escape consists of two symmetrical cases or boxes 1 and 2, provided with sillhooks 3 of any suitable design. The box 1 is constructed to be secured-to the right-hand window 4 by means of the sill-hook 3, as shown, and the box 2 is constructed to be secured to the left-hand window 5. Each box contains the usual cable, Windlass, and governor, well known in the mechanical arts, for controlling the speed of unwinding. For convenience each box is provided with a door 6, hinged at 7, as shown, and provided with a catch 8. The winding up of the cable upon the Windlass is controlled by the cranks 9, protruding from each box. A platform,chair, cross-bar, or other suitable carriage 15 for descent is suspended from the free ends of the cables 10 and 11 of each box, which are provided with hooks 12 and 13 for ready attachment to a ring 14, carried by the platform.

All the apparatus is normally kept within the house, preferably near the windows, the

two boxes and platform being detached from each other and the cables wound up within the boxes. When necessity for descent arises, the box 1 is secured, as above described, to the sill of the right-hand window 4: and the box 2 to the sill of the window 5, so that the cable-outlets of the boxes will be located opposite to each other and between the adjacent windows. The platform is then suspended from the cables 10 and 11 by means of the hooks 12 and 13 and the ring 14. To descend, it is now merely necessary to climb out on the platform, the descent being made between ad- 'jacent windows and controlled by the mechanism'referred to above. By means of the cranks 9 of each box the platform can be hoisted up for another descent. One set of apparatus can be used for descent from any 1 windows located below those where the apparatus is secured. Furthermore, a set of apparatus may be passed from window to window by means of ropes (not shown) secured to the rings 16 and 17.

form at the sidewalk. Here the ends of the cables 10 and 11, which are ordinarily secured to the windlasses of boxes 1 and 2, are thrown down to the street,'as at 20, through an opening in the bottom of the said boxes 1 and 2 and are then passed through openings, as at 19, in the top of boxes, such as at 1. These boxes are secured tothe house at the sidewalk and vertically below the boxes 1 and 2, respectively, with which they cooperate. In the drawing for clearness I have shown but one of such boxes 1 at the sidewalk. They are removably secured, as shown, by brackets 18, consisting of slides and grooves engaging similar slides and grooves in the boxes.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is In a portable fire-escape, the combination of the box 1, containing winding mechanism, the box 2, containing winding mechanism, each of said boxes 1 and 2 having sill-hooks 3,the cable 10, the cable 11, and the platform 15, substantially as described.

Signed at New-York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 8th day of April, 1902.

MARIE ABRAMS. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, A. STEPHEN AARONSTAMM. 

